On May 11, the music products industry lost a titan. George Quinlan Sr., founder and chairman of Midwest chain Quinlan & Fabish, died while surrounded by family. He was 90.

In a message to friends, Quinlan’s son, George Jr., noted that shortly before his passing, Quinlan Sr. had enjoyed a family gathering, including all five of his children and many of his grandchildren.

Just the week before his death, he had gone to the Kentucky Derby and enjoyed a visit with the company’s Omega group in Cincinnati. In the final year of his life, he was able to conduct (despite three broken ribs) the VanderCook band at the Midwest Clinic with his namesake grandson, G. Andrew Quinlan III playing the field drum, travel in March to San Antonio for NASMD and welcome his second great-grandchild into the world.

A lifelong professional trumpeter, Quinlan Sr. held a B.M and M.M in Music from DePaul University, where he met his late wife, Lorraine.

Quinlan & Fabish Music Company was founded in 1959 by Quinlan, Sr. and his business partner, Tom Fabish. The pair established a commitment to school music that endures to this day. In 2009, the company expanded, adding locations in Indiana and Michigan in a partnership with Blessing Music Company. Now with seven locations, Quinlan & Fabish has been the recipient of numerous industry awards and accolades, including Retailing Excellence Awards from Music Inc.

Memorials may be sent to George Quinlan Sr. Legacy Fund at
Vandercook College of Music 3140 S. Federal Street, Chicago, IL 60616, or the Juvenile Diabetes Reserarch Foundaiton, 500 N Dearborn, Suite 305, Chicago, IL 60610-4901